Academic Standards
What are academic standards?The District’s academic standards identify what students should know and be able to do within a given content area or subject. Standards serve as goals and guideposts for both classroom instruction and student learning. The standards also help parents and students gain a better understanding of the District’s expectations for student learning. Academic standards provide a critical foundation and framework for the District’s sequential curriculum plans and for the District’s student assessments in each content area. However, the standards are not an actual classroom curriculum. The curriculum that the District’s schools implement in the various content areas remains flexible and adaptable, and there are many different instructional techniques and activities that could all be consistent with the District’s academic standards. Stated another way, academic standards attempt to identify and focus on the most essential and fundamental aspects of student learning, but they do not attempt to describe all that can or should be taught. A great deal is left to the discretion of curriculum developers and teachers. In addition, the District’s adoption and use of academic standards should not be confused with standardized testing of students. While the District implements various state and federal testing mandates and also implements various locally-selected student assessments, the District’s academic standards do not mandate the use of any specific standardized test or assessment. Why does the District have academic standards?State law requires all school districts, charter schools, and certain private schools to adopt academic standards in mathematics, science, reading and writing, geography, and history. In addition, the School Board and the District’s administrative team believe that identifying and implementing a set of District-wide academic standards in various content areas is highly beneficial to staff, students, and parents. What are the academic standards that will be in effect during this school year?State law requires the District to provide the parents and guardians of all enrolled students with notice of the academic standards in mathematics, science, reading and writing, geography, and history that have been adopted by the School Board and that will be in effect during each school year. Accordingly, the District academic standards that will be in effect in these specific content areas for this school year are listed below. Electronic links to the detailed version of the applicable standards are provided when available.
Has the District selected and implemented academic standards in other content areas?All subject areas have academic standards that guide their curriculum and lesson development. Wisconsin Model Academic Standards comprise the basis for all course content, except in English/Language Arts and Mathematics where CCSS are in place. View the full list of Wisconsin Model Academic Standards.
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